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My Articles and Classwork
During my college career (wow, it's crazy to think that I'm almost done!), I have written many articles for my classes and even had a few published in my school's newspaper, The Signal. I have also done other work in my Writing for Interactive Multimedia class, such as creating an audio story. All of my works will be shared down below!
Reporting on Mental Health in Mercer County- JPW 250 Class
Audio Story
The Signal - Female entrepreneurs seek professional growth
The first article I wrote for TCNJ's Newspaper in November 2018
The Signal- Award-winning producer speaks to future TV and film graduates
The second article I wrote for TCNJ's Newspaper in April 2019
Award-winning producer speaks to future TV and film graduate
Mental Health in Trenton- Brochure
This is the brochure I created for my beat for my JPW 250 class
Mental Health In Trenton- Article
Millions of people across the globe struggle with mental health illnesses.
Most people know what mental health is or what qualifies as a mental health illness, but if you’re not too sure exactly what is qualified as a mental illness, I will inform you:
If you start to notice a severe or significant change in your physical health, if you feel very sad often, you feel less motivated and start missing school or work, you may be suffering from a mental health disorder.
If these feelings persist for a while, it would be best for you to get checked out by a doctor who can perform and evaluation and discuss your symptoms with you.
In my case, I had been having these moods and feelings for months, and I was too afraid to get help. I was feeling worse every day, so my family finally said that I need to get help, and that’s when I realized that it was time.
It could be scary and sad to realize that you may have a mental health disorder but knowing that your family and friends are there to support you is definitely more encouraging.
In January of 2019, just before my last semester of college began, I was diagnosed with Major Depression Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It was hard to process all of that, but it was definitely a wakeup call for me. I began going to therapy and taking medication, so over the past few months I have definitely seen an improvement in myself physically and mentally, and others can see it as well.
I do live in the Mercer County area, so when I was researching counseling centers, it was definitely hard to narrow down my choices and find places that took my insurance.
I know that Trenton tends to be stereotyped as an area with a lower-income population, so having a lower income may be one of the reasons why people avoid getting help that they need.
Many people in Trenton do struggle with their mental health. Through my research, I was able to find some resources that would be beneficial to Trenton and Mercer County residents in general.
Mercer County offers a variety of classes, activities, and group sessions for people seeking to improve their mental health and well-being.
NAMI Mercer, a 501c3 organization, offers a variety of programs, such as support groups, workshops, and parent support networks. They have weekly and monthly events and activities as well. They offer programs for all different age groups and mental illnesses. Some of their programs include: connection support group, overcoming anxiety workshop, and just friends social support group.
NAMI Mercer specifically has very affordable program rates, which only calls for an annual fee. The annual cost for NAMI membership is: $40 for Regular membership for an individual, $60 for Household membership (all members living at same address), and $5 for Open Door membership for an individual with limited financial resources.
Greater Trenton Behavior Health Care is another great resource in our area. GTBHC has helped thousands of Mercer County residents to guide them on their journey to overcome mental health and substance abuse issues.
According to their website, “GTBHC helps individuals, families, & communities of diverse needs & cultures manage life’s challenges, including emotional stressors, mental illness and addictions. Our goal is to improve the quality of life, by providing the highest quality services that are innovative, culturally sensitive, affordable and well- matched to individual needs”.
These organizations all emphasize the fact that they are willing to help families as well as individuals. Treatments are modified and created based on each individual’s unique needs and can increase and decrease intensity of treatment based on the patient’s needs.
One way you can get involved is to take the Stigma Free Mercer pledge. Take the pledge to help stop the stigma surrounding mental health. You can find the link on NAMI’S website or on the Mercer County Division of Mental Health page.
For more information about these programs, visit www.mercercounty.org/departments/human- services/division-of-mental-health
http://www.gtbhc.org/
https://namimercer.org/
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